Goldmark-free Supremacy Game - create Supremacy League (Pay-per-Game)

I wrote earlier in the thread about creating a goldmark-free subscription based version of Supremacy. Since talking to other players I realise that Bytros makes WAY too much money out of some people via Pay -to-Win. So I guess this is not an option. What I would like to suggest to Bytros and the community is the creation of a Goldmark-free Pay-to-Play League.

It could be called "Supremacy League"

Meaning it is the Goldmark-free League.

A Pay-Per-Play League for people who want to play Goldmark-Disabled games would be super easy to test out on the community.

You just offer the Goldmark-free games to existing talented players (like the Frontline pioneer offers) and rejig the account system to make those games

1. Goldmark free

2. Payable via account for Pay-Per-Play.

Then you get feedback from the players.

Did they like it?

What changes would they suggest.

Pay-per-Play could use the existing Goldmark payment system without having to set up any complication subscriptions. A good way to test the water. Prices could start at

$2 for a 10 player game.

$5 for an Event 100 game

$3 for a 100 or 500 player non-event game.

$3 for a 30 player game.

All Goldmark free.

Longer term, you aim to make it so you just register an account and link a debit card or PayPal.

Then you have choice of pay per play, subscription or free service.

Man I reckon people would pay to play Goldmark-free. Imagine 500 players paying $3-$5. Thats good money for Bytros and totally scalable for massive future growth.

Existing players would totally go for the Goldmark-free option.

All those players who have left in the past due to disgust with the unfairness of Pay-to-Win (and that would be ALOT of people) would potentially come back and play this new version.

To make it fair, there could be a algorithm that notices how fast you get knocked out. If you get knocked out first day you get your money back. If you get knocked out really early (in first 3 days?) you get 50% refund. If you go inactive, you get NO money back. This automatically encourages participation. Kills 2 birds with one stone. People paying per play with no goldmark are automatically motivated to higher levels of participation. This would be a GREAT secondary outcome.

To facilitate this you have a single account. and you can automatically manage your account to be monthly, or pay-per-play.

Once you get people signing up to accounts you are getting like Steam. Very good for Bytros's business model. they could then consider buying up other strategy games to add to the stable. That is how Steam got started with a central good game.

I reckon tonnes of people have left the game in such frustration and lots of people would say "nah don't play Supremacy 1914 - it's pay to win". Imagine if all those people came back to the game and subscribed to it, and then told their good friends, and they told their friends how awesome Supremacy is, and so on. Bytros would be making plenty of dough.

Another advantage of this model is that without goldmark, you can't buy your way to a win, and so it stops the players that keep winning using Goldmark from winning more Goldmark and becoming the dominant players. Goldmark is a self fulfilling prophecy that rewards those that support the system financially (helping them become the dominant players) - but ultimately it makes Supremacy a lesser game that you really can't win without cheating (Goldmark). Lets be honest. Almost everyone hates that except the few. Goldmark driven games dumbs down the collective by rewarding poor strategy and big spending and penalising skill that is not backed by a big wallet. If the collective pays for the games, then we can incentivise good gameplay, intelligent strategy and gamesmanship, hence creating a smarter, more evolved gaming community. As different from a divided, money driven, ultimately dumbed down gaming community. Pay-to-win is only good for Bytros. its not good for the community. Functional subscriptions or Pay Per Play is a win-win for BOTH the community and Bytros. The game improves, the players improve and largely everyone is happier. Participation is higher when you pay to play. The game becomes about how you play the game rather than rewarding unskilled victories fuelled by pay to win.

Lets Support PLAY-to-WIN, not PAY-to-WIN.